The Spanish side were dealt a devastating blow this week when it was confirmed that Luka Modric will miss the next three months through injury prompting speculation that Khedira will be denied the chance to leave in January.

Ancelotti is likely to replace Modric with Khedira but the Italian hinted that Isco could step in for the crocked Croatian.

"It’s a major injury. We don’t know precisely when he’ll be back because we have to wait to see how he recovers over the next few days," he said.

"He’s an important player but we have to look forward because the squad is very competitive. We’re able to fix the problem with other players.

"I haven’t decided who will replace Modric. I have the obvious choice of Khedira or to put in Isco. Khedira has played two games after injury so we’ll see if he has recovered. If so he’ll play. If not, Isco."